Kentuckians can now show their support for the arts with a license plate designed by Louisville artist Jeaneen Barnhart. The plate will be unveiled on Arts Day in Kentucky, 10 a.m. EST, Feb. 22, 2011, at the Capitol in Frankfort.

All proceeds from the specialty plate will go to the Kentucky Foundation for the Arts Inc. to enhance the stability of Kentucky’s arts organizations and to ensure that Kentuckians have access to the arts. Drivers choosing the “Experience the Arts!” plate can designate support for arts organizations that receive Kentucky Arts Partnership funding from the Kentucky Arts Council.

Before the plates can go into production, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet must receive at least 900 applications with a $25 contribution. License plate applications can be accessed at www.artscouncil.ky.gov.

The plate features progressive line drawings of a horse and jockey in full gallop with the slogan “Experience the Arts!” Barnhart is known for work depicting richly textured equine themes. Barnhart has also completed print and poster commissions for the 2010 Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby bottle, the Kentucky Derby Festival, the 1996 PGA Golf Experience, the St. James Court Art Show and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Ball.

The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, creates opportunities for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.